The present invention relates to a floating dock or raft system, particularly to a non-skid structural plate walking surface, and more particularly to deck or plate walking surfaces, without substructure, which is attached directly to floats and other components of a dock system.
Over the years various types of floating dock and raft systems have been built, generally of wooden members supported by a substructure, which deteriorates in time due to exposure to water and weather. These prior dock and raft: systems have been composed of strips of material bolted, nailed, or welded to a substructure, all of which increases the weight. While metal materials have been utilized in many floating dock systems, metal is generally of a heavier weight than wood, and has a tendency to rust or corrode due to chemical reaction with the environment in which the dock or raft is located, as well as due to the chemical reaction with the water in which the dock or raft is floated. Also, floating docks must be movable due to the rise and fall of any wave motion of the water, as well as due to a decrease or increase of the size of the body of water to enable a continuous access from the land surrounding the water.
The present invention provides a new approach to the construction and composition of a floating dock and raft system, and is particularly concerned with reducing the overall weight and eliminating substructures. In the floating dock and raft system of the invention, a non-skid, light weight structural or deck plate walking surface, without substructures, is utilized and is directly connected (attached) to all other components of the dock system. The deck or surface walking structure is composed of interconnected lengths of material which can be fabricated to both the desired lengths and widths, thus eliminating the splicing and securing of the numerous deck or surface material strips previously utilized. The deck or surface walking structure is composed of materials compatible with the environment and the water composition in which it is floated.